Missing Scene From: Double Play
by StoryGal85
Summary: More from the tragically short scene after Rick is shot by AJ's double.


Missing Scene From: Double Play

Rick stared into the eyes of his brother for what seemed like an eternity. Was it AJ who stood before him now or his doppelgänger? He knew they should have left when they had first entered the building. His dreams...so Vivid...that Look of complete shock as the life left his brother. As the bullet struck him and he slowly slid down the wall. The look that Rick couldn't get out of his head. In the dreams he had accidentally shot his brother many times...and Now here they stood, stalemated. Neither of them sure if the other was a genuine Simon or not.

Slowly the look of surprise on AJ's features changed to one of malice. A grin tugged at his mouth as he leveled his gun on the mustached man. Rick closed his eyes...he knew now that this was AJ's double...but the revelation didn't change anything. He couldn't shoot...couldn't see that look of shock again. He felt the bullet strike him in the shoulder almost before he heard the sound of the gun firing. He was slammed backwards against the doorjamb and he slid down the wall to a sitting position on the floor. He gasped for breath, the force of the bullet had knocked it out of him. The evil AJ smirked and started down the staircase towards the wounded man. Rick braced himself as the young man leveled his gun at his head. A shot rang out and for an instant Rick wondered if he was dead...shot through the head as he sat on the floor next to his own doppelgänger whom he had killed not five minutes before. But with a start he realized that the evil AJ's face had blanked, the eyes devoid of life as the man toppled forward across his legs. Rick shot a glance up the stairs and saw his little brother standing there, his gun still smoking.

Seeing his brother was injured, AJ galloped down the steps and to Rick's side. Gently he began examining his wounds. He saw dark blood staining the older man's shirt. "What happened?" He asked, trying to see how much damage the bullet had done.

Rick smiled, "I had a shot at him..."

AJ met his brother's gaze, "Then why didn't you shoot him?"

Rick shrugged, "I thought he was you...and I thought if one of us had to take a bullet it'd be me."

"Oh, Rick," AJ said, putting his head against his brother's.

"How bad is it?" Rick asked with a grimace.

AJ looked down at his hands, they were wet with blood, he gulped, "Not too good, but don't worry. I will get you out of here."

Rick smiled, "I know...everything's gonna be OK now...the dream didn't come true...I didn't shoot you...it didn't come true..."

Rick's voice trailed off as AJ put pressure on his wounds to no avail, he saw his brother losing consciousness, "No!" he shouted, "No! You can't do this to me! Rick! You can't die on me! Please!" He felt hot tears as he pleaded with his brother to stay with him. "Please...Oh God, please! Don't let him die! Please don't take him yet...please..." He sobbed as Rick's head slumped forward.

Suddenly he was aware of yelling in the next room, shouted of anger in English and Spanish...barked Commands...and then a voice he recognized. Town! AJ yelled for the policeman to come help then he tried to revive his brother, "Rick...Rick, Town's here! He's here to help us...please Rick, wake up..."

Lieutenant Brown rushed into the room and quickly surveyed the scene. With a start he realized that the two dead bodies on the floor closely resembled his friends but then his attention was captured by the desperate man before him. He knelt beside his friends and looked into AJ's tear streaked face. "Is he alive?"

AJ nodded, "Just barely...he's losing a lot of blood."

Town quickly stood and rushed out of the room, he grabbed one of the mexican cops and sent him to radio for an ambulance. He returned to AJ's side and began trying to help his friend stem the flow of blood. Rick's face was ashen by this time and Town feared his friend couldn't wait for the ambulance to arrive. He grabbed AJ's shoulders and turned him to face him. "We need to get Rick to the hospital. We can't wait for the ambulance so you gotta keep pressure on that wound while we get him to one of the patrol cars...got it?"

AJ nodded, his expression mirroring the fear he felt inside. Town nodded then yelled for two men to come help. Together they got Rick out to one of the police cars and settled in AJ's lap in the back seat. Town asked one of the mexican authorities to drive to the hospital the quickest way possible and then jumped into the passenger seat. He turned to help AJ as the car raced out of the mansion's driveway.

AJ exited the hospital washroom wearing a t shirt one of the mexican cops had given him. He had been soaked in Rick's blood and so Town had ordered him to get cleaned up. He looked down at his now clean hands but imagined he could still see red blood dripping from his fingers. He shuddered and started down the hallway towards the waiting room. His head pounded and he felt as if he was in a nightmare...maybe that's what this was? A bad dream that he'd soon awaken from? But he knew that couldn't be true. He really was here, in this mexican hospital while his brother fought for his life in surgery. He shuddered again...what would he do if...if...he couldn't bring himself to finish the thought. Closing his eyes he whispered his hundredth plea for his brother's life in a quick prayer then entered the waiting room. It was hot and stuffy. The air conditioning unit in the room had broken he had been informed by one of the orderlies. He slumped into a nearby chair and closed his eyes, repeating his prayer.

"Senor, Simon?" A heavily accented voice asked.

AJ stood up and nodded, "Yes I am AJ Simon. How is my brother?"

The doctor smiled, "Your brother is one lucky man. He is going to pull through."

AJ nearly fainted with relief, "Thank you, Doc. Can I see him?"

The dark skinned man nodded and indicated a nurse, "Maria will take you to his room."

AJ shook the doctor's hand, turned, and followed the nurse into the hospital room his brother now occupied. He couldn't help but smile when he saw Rick. His color was good and he was propped up on several pillows being fluffed by a very attractive young nurse who giggled everytime Rick said something to her.

"What's this?" AJ asked in mock disgust, "I am out there worrying and praying for your life while you're in here flirting with your nurse?"

Rick smiled and sent the girl away with another giggle, "Well you should have known it'd take more than one bullet to put me down."

AJ laughed and sat on the edge of Rick's bed, "That's right, I should have known." His expression changed to one of sadness, "I thought I had lost you for a bit there..."

Rick placed a hand on his brother's, "Hey, I am OK."

AJ nodded, "Reminded me of what it was like during the war...never knowing if you were OK...where you were...would you be coming home in a box or never at all..."

Rick swallowed hard, "I know, AJ...I wish I could take away all of the times you have ever been hurt because of me."

AJ smiled, "Well I don't. Because that would mean taking away all the good times too. You can't have the good without the bad."

Rick laughed, "yeah I am starting to see that."

[Camera fades out on the brother's sharing stories of their childhood]

THE END


End file.
